Members of the Lincoln Parish Police Jury Solid Waste and Recycling Committee this week refused to increase what the parish is paying its trash hauler.
Ricky White, president of Jackie White Inc., which operates and repairs the landfill pickup station and hauls garbage to the Union Parish Landfill to be buried, entered into a new contract with the jury that was effective January 2011. According to the terms of the contract, the jury would pay White $16.53 per ton of garbage hauled.

Full text of this article is available to subscribers only. Login if you are already a subscriber. If you are not a subscriber, you can subscribe to the online version here.

The final total may not have been exactly what those who volunteered their time wanted it to be at the 31st annual St. Jude Radiothon, but the kids who will be helped from their generosity won’t complain one bit.
A grand total of $122,350 has been collected as of this morning, with more money still coming in to add to the total.
“It went well, we were just disappointed we didn’t meet our goal,” Radiothon chair Alice Byrnes said. “We were just a little bit off.”

Full text of this article is available to subscribers only. Login if you are already a subscriber. If you are not a subscriber, you can subscribe to the online version here.

Justin Williams was recently able to witness a root canal procedure during one of his internship experiences in the office of Dr. Patrick Stuckey.
“I got to help him hold tools,” Williams said. “It makes me want to do it more.”
Justin is one of 14 seniors at Cedar Creek School who are getting a sneak peek at their future careers.

Full text of this article is available to subscribers only. Login if you are already a subscriber. If you are not a subscriber, you can subscribe to the online version here.

A Ruston woman has been arrested in connection with an armed robbery that occurred in November.
Felicia Hardyway, 27, of 222 Igone Road, is currently being held at the Lincoln Parish Detention Center on one charge of armed robbery with the use of a firearm.
Maj. Stephen Williams, public information officer for the Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office, said on Nov. 6, deputies responded to the scene where a man had reportedly been beaten up and robbed.

Full text of this article is available to subscribers only. Login if you are already a subscriber. If you are not a subscriber, you can subscribe to the online version here.

Entries are being sought for the 2012 Dixie Horizon Entertainer.
The annual event is scheduled for 2 p.m. March 17 at the Dixie Center for the Arts.
Entry forms and $40 entry fee are due by 3 p.m. March 14. Applicants can mail to CJ. Matlock, 1901 Goodwin Rd., Ruston, LA, 71270.

Full text of this article is available to subscribers only. Login if you are already a subscriber. If you are not a subscriber, you can subscribe to the online version here.

GRAMBLING — Whitney Houston graced Grambling State University’s commencement stage in the summer of 1988 to receive one of the university’s highest honors, the honorary Doctor of Humane Letters. The Grambling State University Family, like others across the world, was saddened to hear the news of a fallen alumna.
Houston was the most awarded female artist of all time, according to the “Guinness World Records.” She received two Emmy Awards, six Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among a total of 415 career awards as of 2010. She held the all-time record for the most American Music Awards of any single artist and shared the record with Michael Jackson for the most AMAs ever won in a single year with eight wins in 1994.

Full text of this article is available to subscribers only. Login if you are already a subscriber. If you are not a subscriber, you can subscribe to the online version here.

GRAMBLING — Whitney Houston graced Grambling State University’s commencement stage in the summer of 1988 to receive one of the university’s highest honors, the honorary Doctor of Humane Letters. The Grambling State University Family, like others across the world, was saddened to hear the news of a fallen alumna.
Houston was the most awarded female artist of all time, according to the “Guinness World Records.” She received two Emmy Awards, six Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among a total of 415 career awards as of 2010. She held the all-time record for the most American Music Awards of any single artist and shared the record with Michael Jackson for the most AMAs ever won in a single year with eight wins in 1994.

Full text of this article is available to subscribers only. Login if you are already a subscriber. If you are not a subscriber, you can subscribe to the online version here.

Mardi Gras, also known as “Fat Tuesday,” is a celebration of good times and decadence. Popular practices include wearing masks and costumes, dancing and parades.
Carnival will be taking over the Bobby James Gym next week on Fat Tuesday.
Area residents are invited to join the Ruston Parks and Recreation for plenty of throws, some exciting Cajun music and a Zumba workout that will burn off all those King Cake calories.

Full text of this article is available to subscribers only. Login if you are already a subscriber. If you are not a subscriber, you can subscribe to the online version here.

In his return to his college alma mater, Head Coach Doug Williams couldn’t have asked for a much better 2011 football season at Grambling State University.
Name it and the Tigers and their famous leader seemed to have won it over the course of four months, even though things started out frighteningly bad in September.
GSU had a tough start to Williams’ second stint as head coach. The Tigers won their opening game, but then lost four in a row and left their fans in a quandary as to just how the team was going to live up to preseason predictions of a favorite’s role in the Western Division of the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

Full text of this article is available to subscribers only. Login if you are already a subscriber. If you are not a subscriber, you can subscribe to the online version here.

“They say the hardest part isn’t when you are lost. It’s when you’re alone. But when someone loves you, magical things can happen. There’s always a chance that things will get better; always better for the hope of a brighter day.”
This is a dialogue from “The Rift,” a short metaphorical film “about the harsh realities that countless children in our world face each day.” This is most seen at the time of year where everything is pink, red or heart-shaped. From shiny balloons to pop-up cards and the baskets of candy filled with this gigantic teddy bear that says “I Love You.”

Full text of this article is available to subscribers only. Login if you are already a subscriber. If you are not a subscriber, you can subscribe to the online version here.